UN Security council renews for UNIFIL, rejects Lebanese claims on Shebaa farms
Lebanon-UN, Politics, 1/29/2005

The UN Security Council on Friday renewed the mission of the United Nations Interim Forces In South Lebanon UNIFIL, noting simultaneously it will "reconsider" it in the end of the new mission. It also rejected Beirut's allegations that Shebaa farms are Lebanese.

The council unanimously adopted resolution no. 1583 which states to extend for UNIFIL until July 31 2005. The current mission for UNIFIL was not amended but the UN Security Council expressed its determination to reconsider it as well as the structure of this force by the end of the new mission." In his recent report on the UN force in Lebanon, dated January 20, the UN secretary general persistently called on the Lebanese government to do its best to establish control on all its soil. For the first time, in years, the UN Security Council referred to the report drawn by Annan in May 2000, which was made following Israel's withdrawal to the border set by the UN and called the "Blue line." These borders put Shebaa farms which are occupied by Israel inside Syria's territory.

UN resolution no. 1583 indicated that the UN Security Council "recognizes the Blue Line to confirm Israel's withdrawal from the Lebanese territories in implementation of UN Security Council resolution 425 ( in 1978) and that it is necessary to honor the Blue Line as whole." Annan wrote in his report that "the position of the Lebanese government which continues not to recognize the legitimacy of the Blue Line in Shebaa farms is in contradiction with the UN Security Council resolutions."

Also the resolution demanded the Lebanese government to "expand and practice its authority on the south." One diplomat considered that Lebanon's position is a "pretext" for permitting Hizbullah to continue resisting Israel under the pretext that its withdrawal from Lebanon is incomplete.

Remarking not to the Blue Line, Lebanon's resident representative at the UN Ibrahim Assaf said that the UN Security Council "selectively concentrated on certain chapters of the UN secretary general report." And stressed that these "elements might have an adverse impact on peace and security." The Algerian representative to the UN Abdullah Baali agreed with Lebanon that the resolution included "political elements." The Russian representative Alexander Konozin said that the resolution aims at pressuring the Lebanese government to force it to find solutions to matters that can not be easily sold." The French representative said that the "Blue Line remains the agreed upon reference for the international community." The UN representative Ann Peterson considered that the largest obstacle before the UN is the "permanent ghost of the armed militias in south Lebanon as well as the inability of the Lebanese government to impose its actual control on all its lands." She added " the Lebanese permission does not constitute an excuse for permitting Hizbullah to continue violence along the border line and through the blue line." Diplomats indicate that the tough position taken by France and the US in that resolution target partially Syria and its allies in Lebanon.

Previous Stories:
  Lebanon rejects change to UNIFIL's mission   (1/26/2005)
  Lahoud: Lebanon honors all international resolutions   (1/15/2005)
  Al-Qabas: Al-Huss and Implementation of the UN resolutions   (1/8/2005)

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